16 Saber Tails Spring 2017
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America
Colorado. Our sponsored trailer is pictured above with
the club logo appearing on the second row of logos on
the far right of the trailer. Ours is the second trailer to be
sent to Colorado where there is frequent need for disaster
relief. Jefferson County is the 4th largest county in Colora-
do with over 500,000 residents. It is situated immediately
west of Denver and consists largely of suburbs of the city
and is considered to be part of the metropolitan area. It
is located at the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and
has a county slogan of “Gateway to the Rocky Mountains.”
Jefferson County experiences its share of natural disas-
ters that have made it a prime candidate for a Pet Disaster
Relief trailer. Almost four years ago, Jefferson County en-
countered days of unusual rainfall that resulted in disas-
trous flooding. Floods are by far the most common natu-
ral disaster in Jefferson County but there are also frequent
concerns related to the possibility for wildfire.
According to the AKC Reunite website, the following is
a history of why the trailer program was begun by AKC
Reunite: “After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, local
Emergency Management teams are now required by Fed-
eral Law to have readiness plans and resources available
to help citizens and their pets in the event of a disaster.”
“AKC Pet Disaster Relief helps local Emergency Manage-
ment provide animal care services immediately fol-
lowing a disaster.”
“The program’s genesis was in response to the dev-
astation after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 where many
people stayed in harm’s way because emergency re-
sponse plans did not accommodate pets. AKC Pet Disas-
ter Relief life saving trailers will enable local Emergency
Management organizations across the country to plan,
prepare and respond to disasters that impact people and
their pets.”
Each trailer is stocked with supplies sufficient to house at
least 65 pets for at least the first few critical days follow-
ing a disaster. Supplies in each trailer include crates, pet
carriers, bowls, leashes, microchips, a microchip scanner,
cleaning supplies, lighting, and is wired to run off a gen-
erator or power source. It contains equipment needed to
put together an emergency lost-and-found pet shelter.
City, State or County Local Emergency Management
Teams apply for a trailer through their local AKC Kennel
Club. Once the application is reviewed and approved, a
trailer is granted to the Emergency Management Team
with an agreement that the organization will store and
manage the trailer and display it at local community
events to educate citizens about disaster preparedness
for animals.
To learn more, you can visit akcreunite.org/relief
The PBGV Club of America has sponsored 1 of 2 trailers donated to
the Jefferson County Sheriff Animal Response Team. The above map
shows the placement of all current trailers and trailers on order.
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